


i send my thoughts to far off destinations

by LesbianLucretia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Banter, Clover is Alive, Fix-It, Gen, Hot Chocolate, I just wanted Taiyang to dad at Oscar, JNPR cuddles, Oscar pov, Post-Volume 7, Serious Talks, The P In JNPR Stands For Pine, We In Patch Now Babey, and for them to get a good nights sleep :), character ressurection, late night conversation, paternal instincts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-02-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 18:40:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22860379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesbianLucretia/pseuds/LesbianLucretia
Summary: A lonely little island off the coast of Vale. Thirteen people all asleep in a small cabin, stuffed into rooms or sharing a couch.Make that eleven.(or: After Atlas, the team needs some rest and to recuperate. Oscar can't sleep, again, which seems to be a running trend. Solution: just give him more dads and like 7 siblings)
Relationships: Background Ships - Relationship, Oscar Pine & Taiyang Xiao Long, Ozpin & Oscar Pine
Comments: 7
Kudos: 189





	i send my thoughts to far off destinations

**Author's Note:**

> this is so fucking self indulgent i feel guilty for writing it. just take it. TAKE IT. oscar is in desperate need of some fucking family time. give him some hot chocolate, some fun banter, some cuddles and some GODDAMN BACKSTORY
> 
> features background fair game + maybe..... poly JNR at the most and renora at the least

It’s so quiet here. A lonely little island off the coast of Vale. Thirteen people all asleep in a small cabin, stuffed into rooms or sharing a couch. 

Oscar was sharing a room-- specifically Yang’s old room-- with his team. With Ren and Nora sharing the only bed, it left Jaune and Oscar to talk on the floor until Nora threw a pillow at them and Yang banged her robot arm on the wall to tell them to be quiet.

Even Mr. Xiao Long had to come up and tell them to be quiet. He’d framed his words in a really guilting way, too, considering that he brought up how tired Clover had to be from the journey over.

Though, Clover really did have a rough flight. Leaving Atlas and Ironwood behind had drained him, somehow turning the happy-go-lucky man into an exhausted zombie-- in the most literal sense. He’d been dead; completely stone-cold for a minute there, to Oscar’s knowledge. The staff had fixed that, but… 

Dying and coming back to life-- for the first time-- is complicated and emotionally conflicting. Oscar knows.

Not to mention the falling out with Ironwood… As soon as dinner had finished and Mr. Xiao Long had gotten the full story out of them, Qrow had wrapped an arm around him to guide him to the couch and he pretty much just shut down. Didn’t even get his boots off before falling asleep and dragging Qrow down with him using a death grip.

After Clover and Qrow had fallen asleep together, everyone else slowly started dropping off. Ruby and Yang felt safe enough to fall asleep in Ruby’s room without checking the perimeter, Weiss and Blake following them not too soon after. Maria had taken up a small guest bedroom. Ren and Nora just kinda fell against each other and then into bed to sleep but Jaune was almost as wired and anxious as Oscar is. 

Not enough, as he’d passed out not too soon after Mr. Xiao Long had come up.

But it had been hours since then, and now Oscar was silently attempting to make his way down to the kitchen and trying not to wake the other twelve people all asleep.

_Make that eleven._

“Sorry,” Oscar whispers sheepishly. Oz doesn’t grace that with a reply, just a muted, mild annoyance at being woken up by Oscar’s too-loud thoughts. “I just--”

_Wanted some hot chocolate._

“Yeah.” He almost stumbles when his sock is caught on the rug but manages to right himself. He totally just almost fell right on top of Jaune.

Oz sighs mentally. _We should work on your balance, soon. It’s an important thing in a fight._

“It’s not my fault,” He hisses as he slowly opens the door to the hallway, avoiding squeaky hinges. “Blame my legs, they’re the ones who keep growing. I can’t keep up!”

_Of course. Absolutely terrible of them to make you taller._

“I know, right?” Oscar murmurs as he descends the stairs, careful of his volume and the two sleeping on the couch. “Like, why don’t you just get a life instead of ruining mine by throwing off my balance?”

Oz chuckles in his head. He feels a quiet amusement rolling in his chest, and he laughs out loud softly. He missed this, honestly. He missed Oz. 

There’s a tiny spark of smugness in his chest at the thought. “Shut it. I can feel your ego growing.”  
  
_Me? Ego? Never._

Oscar snorts and steps forward again, jumping about three feet in the air when a loud creak echoes through the living room. Qrow’s snores stutter for just a moment but after a minute, it seems like no one’s been awoken by his misstep.

_I was hoping you’d remembered that one was the creaky one._

“What happened to communication?” Oscar hisses back, quickly and silently making his way down the rest and creeping into the kitchen. “I thought we agreed on better communication.”

Oz hums. _I’ll remember to warn you about any creaky stairs next time._

Oscar just rolls his eyes as he lights a candle in the kitchen, on the table. It’s big enough to light up the room but not enough to bother the two on the couch.

He goes straight for the cabinet that he knows holds the mugs. There’s only a little surprise that comes with him knowing immediately.

“You really have been here before?” Oscar asks as he also grabs ingredients. They don’t have a microwave or the pre-mixed stuff, so he goes for the milk and cocoa powder.

 _Yes, I have._ He sounds wistful. _Not often, and not after Ruby and Yang’s mother disappeared._

Oscar frowns and pauses, staring at the bag of sugar. “Were you two close?”

 _Not exceptionally. But we were friends, I think. She called us baking buddies._ He recounts this with a laugh in his voice.

Oscar deflates his shoulders slightly. He can feel the grief and guilt rolling off Oz in waves. “I’m… sorry for your loss.”

_Thank you. If it’s any consolation, I’m sure Summer would have liked you, Oscar._

“Thanks.” He smiles softly, but then tilts his head. “Consolation?”

 _These feelings aren’t solely my own._ He explains, and Oscar realizes he’s right. He also realizes he’s been imaging Summer Rose in his head, and knows exactly what she looked and sounded like.

He remembers where the ingredients are because he’s done this before.

Oscar tightens his grip on the spoon he’d grabbed. “She looked so much like Ruby.”

_She did. Or, rather, Miss Rose takes after her mother._

“I guess.” He purses his lips. “It feels like I knew Ruby first, though.”

_Because you did. I certainly didn’t._

“How did you meet her?” He asks Oz as he grabs the milk from the fridge.

_Ruby?_

“Yeah.”

 _She’d been caught fighting Roman Torchwick. Glynda had intercepted before she got in over her head, as Cinder had also been there. She was 15, at the time._ He laughs gently. _Barely your age and operating one of the deadliest weapons ever designed at Signal Academy, fighting half of a Fall Maiden._

Oscar smiles fondly as Oz gently pushes the memory towards him. “You gave her cookies.”

_I did. I thought it would be a nice peace offering._

“Oh, definitely.” Oscar laughs as he sets a pot on the stove. “Ruby would probably like anyone if they feed her enough sweets. Nora, too, but she’ll usually eat anything.”

Oz seems to start saying something, but doesn’t. Instead, amusement radiates from him so strongly that it makes Oscar pause in his quest for hot cocoa.

“What?” He says into the empty air. The candle flickers menacingly. “ _What_? What’s so fun-- HRGH--!” 

Oscar shoves a hand over his mouth to muffle his own startled yell. In the entryway to the kitchen is Mr. Xiao Long, leaning against the frame with his arms crossed and a smile on his face that seems as amused as Oz is feeling.

They stare at each other for just a moment.

“H-- How long…?”

“Long enough to hear you have an entire conversation with yourself.” He answers cooly. “Gotta say, I know you’re also here Oz, but this is beyond your levels of weird.”

Oscar feels a nonverbal request and lets go, allowing Oz to cross his arms for him and level a look at Ruby and Yang’s dad. “And just what are my levels of weird, Mr. Xiao Long?”

Oscar snorts mentally. Mr. Xiao Long groans. “Not you too. Brothers, I have enough of that at Signal. I don’t need all of you calling me that, too.”

_Oh. He’s a teacher? That explains why he has such a commanding presence._

“You think he has a commanding presence?” Oz asks, raising a brow in disbelief.

“He thinks I have a commanding presence?” Mr. Xiao Long asks, perking up.

_Uh, kinda? He’s like… the cool teacher._

“‘The cool teacher.’” Oz deadpans. Tai actually grins at that.

_Yeah, you know, the one that you actually do the work for cus if you didn’t you’d feel bad for not living up to his expectations and every time you didn’t do your homework you’d feel a crushing guilt?_

“That’s… very oddly specific.” Oz says, tilting his head.

“What’s he saying about me?”

Oscar jumps and realizes they’d switched places so suddenly and smoothly that he hadn’t even noticed. “Uh-- Nothing, Mr. Xiao Long.”

He groans again and grabs the milk from the counter. “Come on-- it’s Oscar, yeah? Just call me Tai, please, for my own sanity.”

“Um, okay.” Oscar blinks. Mr. Xia-- Tai was now pouring the milk into the pot he’d set on the stove. “What’re you doing?”

“I have several reliable sources who have all told me I make the best hot chocolate.” He smirks and his eyes look up at the ceiling for a second. “So just step back and prepare to be impressed.”

Oscar smiles and allows Tai to take over the hot chocolate making. He takes a seat at the table, noting to himself how his feet sit firmly on the floor rather than nearly-dangling as they would have a scarce few months ago.

 _You’re growing fast._ Oz sounds like he’s almost proud. _It’s about time._

“Hey,” Oscar retorts quietly, making Tai cast a glance behind him. “Don’t say that like you haven’t been thinking about the advantages of being smaller in every single fight. I heard you when we fought Hazel.”

_There are… some advantages, I will agree. Though on the whole it is rather difficult to be taken seriously when you aren’t much taller than a 12 year old._

Oscar scoffs. “Rude.”

_You aren’t denying it._

“No, I’m not. But it was rude.”

_Perhaps._

“Making fun of a kid, huh?” Oscar tsks at him and shakes his head. “I cannot believe you. Have you stooped so low, Oz?”

_You say that as if you haven’t been making old man jokes this whole time._

“You being old _is_ funny.” Oscar huffs. Tai snickers quietly as he stirs in a dash of vanilla and Oz twitches. He doesn’t reply, opting to instead join Oscar in waiting patiently for some cocoa.

He finds himself staring right into the candle flame in front of him. It dances softly, flickering roughly when Oscar exhales. He tries to focus his breathing to prevent it from moving too much, watching the warm light move like a curtain in a breeze.

Tai puts a mug in front of him and he’s drawn out of his focus. He smiles and nods in thanks as Tai sits opposite of him with his own mug. Oscar blows on it gently and takes a sip, humming in appreciation. He takes a bigger drink, grinning and licking his lips.

“I told you,” Tai smiles into his cup.

Oscar chuckles and drinks again, a little drip of liquid running down his chin. He wipes at it with the back of his hand and licks it clean, before looking up and realizing that Tai is staring. He flushes and looks away, opting to take another sip.

“Oscar,” He asks, leaning forward a little. “How old are you?”

“Um, fourteen.” Oscar answers quickly.

 _Fifteen, actually._ Oz tells him, his voice heavy and slow _. Your birthday was last week._

“Oh, yeah.” He hums. “I guess we missed it, with all that happened. I’m fifteen, then.”

“You missed your birthday?” 

“It happens. Usually it was my aunt that remembered, but…” He shrugs indifferently. “I never really celebrated it, anyways. Just another day, really.” He looks up at Tai when he doesn’t answer. He’s staring at him with this look that is so… concerned. 

“You’re so young.” He murmurs, looking him up and down. “How did you get wrapped up in all of this?”

Oscar blinks. “I mean, if Oz hadn’t gotten killed by Cinder, I’d probably still just be a farm hand.” He rests his head on his hand and hums. “So it’s Salem’s fault, honestly.”

Tai sighs. “Ah, Salem. Ruining lives since… forever, I guess.” He raises his mug in a half-toast and takes a drink. Oscar mimics him with a smile. Oz silently agrees, but it’s such an intense agreement it makes him laugh a little. “Wait, you said you were a farmhand?”

“Oh, yeah, on my aunt’s farm. It was a little ways out from Mistral, near a small settlement. I lived in a barn, in a renovated hayloft.” He recalls it with a fond warmth in his chest. “She took me in when I was just a kid.”

“If it’s okay to ask-- why did she?”

“I… lost my dad and my papa to a Grimm attack. Our whole village was destroyed.” He admits. No one else knows, not even Jaune, Ren or Nora. It’s almost scary in a weird way, talking about it to Tai. He barely remembers it, now. He had been so _little_.

(He very carefully doesn’t think about how he doesn’t remember either of their faces.)

“I’m sorry.” Tai says gently. “That’s-- I’m so sorry.”

Oscar scuffs his socked foot against the wood floor. “Thanks. My aunt-- she’s not really my aunt, but I’ve known her my whole life. She was my papa’s best friend since school, so she took me in.”

“And what’s she like?’ He asks curiously.

“She’s nice. Didn’t exactly hold my hand crossing the street or read me to sleep, but she taught me how to fend off smaller Grimm and how to escape bigger ones when I kept having nightmares, after that night.” He touches the bandages on his neck absent-mindedly.

Tai frowns. “Does she know? About all this?” Oscar shakes his head.

“She’s… I love her, don’t get me wrong. She gave me a roof to live under and hot meals and a job, she taught me to survive and to look out for myself. She cares about me in her own way but… she wasn’t ever the touchy-feely kind of person. She at least took me leaving the farm well enough, but I don’t think she’ll worry about me.”

“I know a couple of someones like that.” Tai tells him, suddenly looking vulnerable and raw, sitting there cupping his hands around his mug. “It’s hard to love someone who won’t say it back.”

“I-- yeah.” Oscar frowns and lowers his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t think--”

“No, no, it’s okay.” He shakes his head, breaking away from the reminiscing. “Don’t worry about it. And don’t let Oz worry about it, either. I know he will.” 

Oscar turns inward, checking for any feelings Oz may be trying to keep from him, but only finds something comforting and peaceful settled deep in his chest. He smiles. “I think he fell back asleep, actually.”

“Oh. Good. Brothers know that man needs more sleep.

Oscar pauses and grimaces, trying to figure out how to say his next question. “Are you not… angry?”

“About what?”

“Oz. Him lying for so long about Salem, about himself.”

Tai sighs deeply and runs a hand down his face. “I’m furious, Oscar. It’s honestly taking a _significant_ amount of self control to not go all berserker. But I can’t afford to be angry and rage at him, right now. That’s something you kids don’t understand, at least not yet. Sometimes you can’t afford the luxury of outrage when it comes to these kinds of things.

“I’ve known Ozpin pretty much my entire huntsman career. He’s someone I deeply respected and admired ever since I first heard about him, and honestly? I still do. Even with him lying and keeping things hidden, things that he shouldn’t have kept hidden from people he supposedly trusted and who trusted him. I trusted him with my life, once. Not anymore, but…”

He takes a deep breath and exhales slowly, releasing tension. His cocoa that had slowly become lukewarm in his hand is now steaming again. “Besides, I’ve kept secrets myself, secrets that hurt to talk about but hurt others when I didn’t. I kept Yang’s mother a secret from her, and in doing so I put her and Ruby in danger.” He tightens his fist and clenches his jaw tight. “I can’t afford to be mad because I can’t let myself spiral. Not again. _Never_ again.”

And the thing is, he looks so angry just saying that. His eyes flash dangerously and he’s obviously trying hard to keep his semblance under control. Oscar knows he’s just shared something very raw and real to him. 

(He vaguely remembers hearing something from Qrow, right after Summer’s disappearance, about Yang and Ruby being found miles from home in the middle of a Beowolf den.)

(He remembers the guilt, too.)

“...” Oscar looks down, averting his eyes from the man opening himself up to willingly to a kid he just met. “I… understand, I think.” He smiles a little bitterly. “I mean, I’m just glad you aren’t punching me or shoving me against a wall over it.”

That draws Tai out of his reverent and angry state. “What?”

“Ah, nothing. It’s okay now--”

“Was it Qrow? I bet it was Qrow, wasn’t it?”

Oscar shifts uncomfortably. “...And Jaune.” Tai inhales sharply and Oscar puts his hands up. “But it’s fine now! They-- they apologized to me, we worked it out. We’re-- we’re good.”

Tai studies him for just a second and sighs. “Okay. I’ll trust you on that.” Oscar smiles gratefully. “But I’m still talking to Qrow about it.”

“I mean, I didn’t blame him, at the time.” Oscar shrugs. “I was angry too, but… I also felt everything he was feeling. The guilt and remorse and hurt.” He pauses, his mind swirling. 

He feels Oz stir slightly and presses his feelings down quickly, avoiding disturbing him further. This only results in Oz feeling Oscar’s panic with no sense of danger and humming questioningly.

_Oscar…?_

“We’re okay,” He tells him, tightening his grip on his mug. “Sorry. You can go back to sleep.”

Oz hesitates for just a second before settling again. Oscar exhales and relaxes in relief and looks up at Tai. 

“Everything okay in there?” Tai asks, humor lacing his tone as he blows on his reheated cocoa.

“Yeah,” Oscar ducks his head. “But maybe we should change the subject to something that’s less… intense. I don’t want him to accidentally wake him up by thinking too loud.”

“That’s a thing?” Tai quirks a brow.

“Apparently.” Oscar slumps a little. “I mean, he can just lock himself away to avoid being woken up but he promised he wouldn’t do it again.”

“‘Lock himself away?’”

Oscar hums an affirmative around his cocoa and swallows quickly to respond. “It’s… kinda hard to explain? It’s like… hiding behind a locked door. Or just disappearing, but not really? I could tell he was there but it was more like when you think you feel someone behind you but not touching you? Argh, sorry, it’s just-- I probably sound like a crazy person right now.”

“A little bit.” Tai grins. “But I think I get it.”

“Sorry,” Oscar groans, rubbing his cheek to get rid of the sudden warmth in them.

There’s a lull, there. It would feel more awkward if Oscar didn’t have something to do during it, but instead he stands and goes to refill his cup. The cocoa in the pot is still hot enough to drink and Oscar happily loads up on another cup.

“How’re you handling this?” Tai asks, quietly, after Oscar sits back down.

“What do you mean?” He replies carefully, cautious of his intentions. 

“I’m just saying, a life of fighting evil and sharing a body and stopping corrupt militaries seems pretty intense for a kid who used to be a farmhand in the outskirts of Mistral.” Tai points out, inclining his head. “I just wanna know how you feel about it all, y’know?”

Oscar stops in his tracks, Tai’s words sinking in. It catches him completely off guard. He hasn’t-- no one’s really asked that. Not recently. He guesses no one has really had to. Qrow once told him he can be read like an open book. Everyone just sort of gave him comfort when he maybe looked like he needed it. They never asked because they never needed to.

Still, it’s almost off-putting. Tai barely knows him, but he’s still asking him genuinely. Like he really wants to know.

Oscar smiles, warmth bleeding in his chest and something getting caught in his throat. “I’m doing okay, actually. When I first got to Mistral I felt… overwhelmed, to say the least. All these new people, in a new place, with new threats and danger around seemingly every corner?” 

He shakes his head gently, remembering his fear and worry just a scarce few months ago. “I was scared. Really scared. But… It was actually Ruby that talked to me. She told me that I had to keep moving forward not just for myself, but for the people I want to protect the most and the people I’ve lost that would do the same for me. She said that I was braver than I thought, because I was trying when others didn’t.”

Tai grins, wide and prideful. “That’s my girl, alright. She’s always been like that.” His smile grows softer. “Got it from her mother, I think.”

Oscar reflects back to his conversation earlier with Oz, about Summer. He remembers first spotting her out of a crowd of hundreds of other new students, her white hood raised over her head and stood near the back. He could barely make out her face but was instantly drawn in not only by the color of her eyes but their quiet determination and excitement spoke volumes.

He remembers Ruby’s determination and endless enthusiasm when he first met her, too. Both times.

“They’re so similar. Though, I remember-- I mean, Oz remembers Summer being more withdrawn.”

“Yep,” He grins. “Regular wallflower, she was. Ruby has something special about her. Yang, too.”

“Something unquantifiable.” Oscar quietly recalls Oz’s words to him, back in Mistral. “Did she get it from you?”

He shakes his head. “Nope. That’s all her own. It hers to do whatever she wants with, and whatever she chooses to do with it she’ll be great. She can inspire anyone to go great lengths to accomplish their goals, even when they’ve strayed off their path.” He sighs a little. “Based on what I’ve heard, it can even inspire her enemies to work harder to destroy her.”  
  
Oscar’s mind drifts to Cinder for a second, before thinking of another. “What about Yang?”

“Yang has a fire in her blood like nothing I’ve ever seen.” He admits, his voice awed and gentle. “It was so beautiful and so worrying to first see the signs of it. She didn’t know how to control her inferno, at first. Sometimes she’d burn herself-- or even those around her-- but I think she’s got a handle on it, now. It’s really something incredible to see.”

Oscar hears the raw pride in his voice, the way he smiles so bright and how he jumped at the chance to brag about his daughters. He comes to an obvious yet still abrupt realization of exactly how much he loves them. It’s insurmountable, he can tell because he can see the tightness in his jaw and the gentle bouncing of his leg. He’s worried about them.

“They’re amazing to see in action.” Oscar says, attempting to go for casual. “The way they can handle themselves and take care of each other is incredible.”

“I know, don’t think I don’t see what you’re doing.” Tai gives him a look that makes Oscar flush and rub the back of his neck. “I’m never gonna stop worrying about those two. It’s my job as a parent. Though, at this point, I think I’m gonna end up worrying after all you kids.”

Oscar blinks twice. “Why?”

“Call it paternal instincts or whatever.” He leans back and looks at the ceiling. “Thinking about you all fighting comic-worthy supervillains and Grimm while you’re still so young is scary. I know it might not feel like it-- them with their licenses and you with Oz’s memories bouncing around in your skull-- but you’re so _young_ . You’re all still just _kids_ . _Teenagers_. I thought I was grown up at your age but man…” 

He shakes his head with a heavy sigh. “You’ve all gone through so much. I wish sometimes I could’ve talked them down from being Huntsmen.” He says it with such guilt in his voice. Oscar furrows his brow.

“Why didn’t you?” He asks, and then hides a yawn behind his hand.

“It’s all they’ve ever wanted.” Tai tells him. “I couldn’t take that from them. They would be safe, yes, but also completely miserable.”

“Like me.” Oscar mumbles, thinking of how badly he wanted to be more than just a farm hand.

“Listen, Oscar.” Tai starts, his tone serious. He leans in, resting his forearms on the table as Oscar meets his eyes. “I won’t try to talk you out of it. I know you have to, but I just want you to know you’ll always have a home here. Oz or no Oz.”

And just like that, it feels like someone’s pulled the chair out from under him. He exhales shakily as he processes what’s just been said to him, blinking rapidly for a few seconds.

“Thank you,” He breathes. “Really, I-- I’m--” He inhales sharply and scrubs at his eyes.

“Hey, it’s no problem. It’s probably my empty nest syndrome acting up, honestly.” He laughs quietly, Oscar chuckling wetly with him. “You deserve a place to come home to, kiddo. Lucky for you, I’m in need of a surrogate kids since mine hang out with degenerates who don’t know what bedtime means.”

With that, he sends a meaningful look over Oscar’s shoulder. Oscar turns around to see Jaune standing in the doorway with a bashful expression.“S-Sorry, Mr. Xiao Long.” He stammers out, straightening his back.

Tai groans and rolls his eyes but Oscar giggles, looking between Jaune and Tai.

“Did I say something wrong?” Jaune asks quietly to Oscar, who just giggles harder.

“It’s just Tai.” He insists, and stands. “I can handle one exhausted child out of bed but another is just _two_ much.”

Oscar presses a hand to his mouth to attempt to stifle his laughter, not wanting to wake the two in the living room. Jaune heaves out a sigh. “Great. Now I know where Yang got it from.” Tai barks out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he gathers both mugs. 

“What’re you doing up, still?” He asks him.

“I had-- I woke up and saw that Oscar wasn’t there.” Jaune stumbles at first but catches himself. “Just-- checking on him. You know.”

“I’m okay.” Oscar rests his head on the cool table, his oncoming sigh turning into a yawn. “Just couldn’t sleep, I guess.” His eyelids are suddenly so heavy, now that he’s laying down.

Jaune puts a hand on his shoulder and shakes him a little. “Come on, buddy. I don’t think I could carry you.” Oscar reluctantly obeys and stands, attempting to stifle another yawn and failing. “Alright. Upstairs. It's bedtime, mister.”

“Wait,” He mumbles, resenting his sudden sleepy attack. Jaune let's go of his shoulder and he turns to Tai. “Thank you for the hot chocolate and for keeping me company. And for the offer.”

“Of course, kiddo.” He smiles fondly as he leans against the counter, crossing his arms. “Go get some sleep.”

Oscar smiles and lets himself be led upstairs by Jaune. He takes care to skip the creaky step as they carefully tiptoe back into their room. When they enter, Ren raises his head up and stares blearily at them. He then carefully shifts Nora closer to him, her snoring not pausing for a second, and reaches out a hand meaningfully.

Jaune grabs their blankets off the floor and climbs in next to him. Oscar stands awkwardly at the edge of the bed, debating if he’d be allowed to join them or not. Jaune and Ren both watch him, sharing a look in the moonlight before looking back to him.

“Just get in already, dummy.” Nora mumbles from her position of being Ren’s personal sloth, then immediately goes back to snoring.

Oscar huffs at her but does crawl in, shifting around at first in an attempt to situate him on the edge, barely touching Jaune. It doesn’t work, Jaune just ends up picking up him-- despite his claim that he couldn’t-- and putting him right in the middle of all of them. It takes a second of adjustment for all of them but they settle with a collective sigh.

“Are you really doing okay?” Jaune whispers to him, his chin resting on top of his head.

Oscars considers this for a second. Oz is still snoozing away, his presence like ocean waves in his chest. Nora is snoring softly, cuddled up against Ren, who has his back pressed against Oscar’s side and his leg resting over his own. Jaune’s breathing is audible to him, deep and slow and relaxing.

His team is safe. He’s safe.

“Yeah.” Oscar says softly. “I’m okay now.”

**Author's Note:**

> i love taiyang so much this man has been thru some SHIT


End file.
